The "worst natural disaster of the decade" (UN-officials) has cost more than 200.000 lifes. The world community has come together to help those who have lost everything and the generosity of private individuals has been enormous.

With sadness I have noticed that the original thread has been closed, thanks to our Lord, who also predicted that the US (public and private) will donate more than everyone else combined. I would like that to see happen, but I seriously doubt that as I see how much attention the President is paying to this catastrophe.

My daily newspaper finally managed to make a list of a couple of countries that have promised or already given financial aid (in million US $):

----country---------------------public financial aid----------------private

Australia-------------------------1000----------------------------------58
Germany--------------------------675---------------------------------200
Japan------------------------------500---------------------------------200
USA--------------------------------350---------------------------------120
Norway----------------------------182----------------------------------30
GB----------------------------------94----------------------------------146
---
World Bank: 1000 billion, EU Commission: 500 million.
(numbers current at 1800 hrs on January 6th, 2005, taken from the Berliner Zeitung, page 2, Friday, January 7th 2005)

I know that most countries that donate money have specific political agendas that go with it, but it seems to me that private individuals in the US have not yet made the kind of contribution that one might expect from the richest nation of the world.

My questions are:
Do you think your country is doing enough to help the people in South East Asia?

Have you personally done anything to help those people (donated blood/money/clothing)?

Modified due to insuffient attention to grammatical distinctions.

Do you think your country has done enough to help the people in South East Asia? I am curious why this is written in past tense, as though the crisis is over and our work is done. Our country IS in the process of helping, our military is deployed aiding, and we are continuing with funding. Why does your question automatically assume we will give no more, nor continue to help?

Have you personally done anything to help those people (donated blood/money/clothing)? Yes, I've given money to Americares. I know a lot of people who have contributed, or will. One big problem is, many Americans go into debt for the holidays, and this tragedy happened directly after. They don't have much to give. I don't go in to debt, but I gave a lot to charity brfore Christmas. I paid for a well in Afghanistan, and some medicine for a village in South America. I didn't have as much to send as I normally would have.

I am still a bit circumspect over the private figures listed here. I don't have a figure for total private gifts by Americans, but the American Red Cross alone reported receiving $27.9 million in donations as of noon on December 30, Pfizer Inc is donating $10 million in cash and $25 million in medical supplies; Johnson & Johnson $2 million plus supplies, and J.P. Morgan Chase, $3 million. In addition, Abbott Laboratories is donating $2 million in medical supplies, Citigroup $3 million, ExxonMobil $5 million, Cisco $2.5 million, Wal-Mart $2.5 million, Altria $1 million or more.

Those figures alone were 89 million by December 30. I expect Bill Gates will contribute some of the 22 billion reserves he keeps in his charity fund. I think you're jumping the gun a bit with this thread.

As a faculty adviser to a high school service club we are heading a fund raising drive that will collect from k-12. Alumni, faculty and staff and go to a local agency that sends out water treatment equipment, the American Red Cross, and probably UNICEF.

I have yet to give any money but the drive hasn't started yet, it being the second day of our new semester.

I think, in large part to the wonders of the internet, that private donations will be near the 9-11 fund and (as long as our leaders (Secretary Powell) don't use any more awkard warnings, like saying they don't want to FLOOD the Tsunami afflicted region with aid) will provide a sustained and effective relief efforts barring Somalia type obstacles in delivering aid.

I wonder though just how much of that money has been given, or just 'pledged'? That might explain the difference in the numbers Mrs Pigpen quotes.


Do you think your country is doing enough to help the people in South East Asia?

Yes. Given the circumstances involved I am very satisfied with the response. Some people have complained that the state was too slow in reacting (I've seen the same said about most western governments) and frankly I dismiss such accusations as unfair. I don't exactly know just what the western governments were supposed to do considering how far away the disaster struck and how little information was available in the first few days (I didn't even know what was happening ntil three days after it had happened due to the xmas break). I can't imagine any nation has stock piles of cash, blankets and helicopter fuel stashed away in south east Asia, and even most embassy's couldn't do much either.

I do think that such stockpiles should exist. There ought to be UN depots full of blankets and water purification tablets dotted throughout the worlds regions, and a big budget account full of emergency funds to be released at a moments notice might not be a bad idea either.
I can't help but point out that if the human race spent even ten percent each year on emergency services of what it does on military hardware, then we probably wouldn't have to have this ridiculous mad dash to prove ourselves generous.


Have you personally done anything to help those people (donated blood/money/clothing)?

I gave some money to the Danish Red Cross Asia appeal. As I did I noted that there was an option to choose between the tsunami disaster and the Sudan... I wonder how much money has been given to the Sudan?
I considered it, but I can't help wondering at whether the people in the Sudan haven't brought their problems on themselves? They seem to be afflicted with the same problems year after year.

Another thing I can't but help shake my head about, is the lack of generousity from the oil rich nations of the middle east. So much for Islamic solidarity.

Very good point. You'd think that the OPEC nations, with their common religion, surplus of income, and proximity would make a banner effort to help. It's also amazing that the vast majority of money is coming from nations that are far more "judeo-christian" countries.

In terms of American donations and whether they've been pledged or not, I'm not sure that these figures aren't exactly political polls... inflated and skewed. I wonder how much of the money funnelled via private organizations will actually make it to those in need. I also wonder who will dist these funds and how trustworthy they are... of course org's like the Red Cross are relatively trustworthy, but what about the rest?

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...diauntouchables

This is ridiculous and very sad to see. Something like this in such a situation makes one question the character of a people.

Well let's not forget that there are plenty of Indians and Arabs that are ponying up to the relief effort.

Saudi telethon raises $82 mln for tsunami victims

Maybe a little late in moving in, but criticism of the United States seems to have been early and lasting in regards to this. Just because a country does not appear on an above list of donations does not mean that it is not participating.

Praise for India's tsunami relief efforts

The Indian government has been active in relief and does not merit having the collective character of its people questioned.

Indonesia praises India for help

Yes, but disasters often bring out the worst and best in everyone. I remember after hurricane Andrew in Miami, we had mass amounts of crime and looting. That was about 1/10000 the scale of what they have over in the tsunami zones right now. This doesn't surprise me much, I suspect before it's over, they'll have to bring in the UN peacekeepers to make sure the aid gets to intended recipients.

Edited to add: I thought this was interesting:

Do you think your country is doing enough to help the people in South East Asia?
Yes I believe the US is doing enough. As has been suggested logistical support is neglected. But that is a typical thing that is neglected. Since we only seem to determine a countries contribution to dollar amounts, never mind man power, supplies, and transportation. You know the things that the people need to get to them. All of that doesn't count.

Have you personally done anything to help those people (donated blood/money/clothing)?
Why is it necessary to demonize or brow beat those that haven’t or couldn’t or quite simply didn't want to? I don’t believe people should give to be judged by what they give (or didn’t give). The fact of the matter is each individual has their own reasons to do whatever it is that they do. Whether you agree or not. Your only responsibility is to do what you think is right for yourself. Personally I don’t care what my neighbor gives. The set up and ultimate question posted here demonstrates why altruism does not exist. The whole question is a selfish one under the guise of unselfishness.

Americans, if you want to generalize though, are a giving people and I have never worried that private donations will be shabby. Nevertheless many Americans support charities of their choice not just in times of disaster but continuously and not just in dollars but in voluntarism. That is a part of our nation’s culture and it has nothing to do with one upping another.

edit for missing necessary and important words.

I haven't done anything yet, but I will be attending a dance at my high school on Friday night, in which the money raised by ticket sales will go to the American Red Cross' tsunami relief program.

Just as an update, the number of deaths due to the tsunami has apparently been upped to 295,000 people. As a point of reference, that's like having 100 WTC destruction events. When do we start the "war on earthquakes"?

Just wait and somehow global tectonics will be blamed on human activity. 9/11 was a wholly human induced event.

Do you think your country is doing enough to help the people in South East Asia?
The United States developed the Pacific tsunami warning system. Unfortunately, this disaster happened in the Indian Ocean, where earthquakes are much rarer. Over 95% of all earthquakes occur in the Pacific Ocean basin (according to a History Channel show I watched), which is why the tsunami system is there.

But much of the system relies on awareness and notification. Tsunami drills are needed. But what good are such drills if the actual event is so rare (as Indian Ocean earthquakes are)?

As we could have predicted, nations who pledged tsunami relief funds are tardy with the actual delivery. Of course, local leaders are also stealing relief supplies as well. I guess this is par for the course in disaster relief scenarios.

Ever the contrarian, I'm sending money to Doctors Without Borders this month, and it is not earmarked for the tsunami victims. The money goes into their general fund. Meanwhile, I'll just let my tax dollars be my donation via the government's aid.

For some reason, the outpouring of donations strikes me as being just a little sick after starting the Iraq situation, maybe to compensate for guilt? Eh, that's just me. DWB gets the money without strings, heh, Donation Without Strings (DWS) for DWB.